RIPTRIPPIN: Nostalgia, Immersion, and a Bass-Fueled Chapter at D.PAD+FRIENDS

NOLA EDM: For those discovering you through D.PAD+FRIENDS — who is RIPTRIPPIN, and how would you describe your sound within New Orleans’ underground scene?

RIPTRIPPIN: RIPTRIPPIN actually started as a funny Instagram username my friends gave me after we went to Buku Fest back in 2019 (yes, it is all one word). Through the years, I ended up becoming pretty recognized around the Baton Rouge scene under that moniker before I even started taking music very seriously, and over time it kind of turned into its own identity for me. 

When I began this project, it just felt so natural to step into that name fully. I come from the community side of things, getting my start through meeting as many friends and people in the scene as I could because I was genuinely interested in those people. I was going to shows and being part of the culture way before ever being on stage – first in Baton Rouge and now expanding outward. So when I play, it’s not just about performing, it’s about creating a moment everyone feels through the music. I hope to inspire others through that..

My sound lives somewhere between that nostalgic American Dubstep energy that got me personally into bass music when I was a kid, and the modern sound design that keeps the genre evolving. I really focus on cultivating immersive, fun experiences – music that can pull you in emotionally at times and still something you can absolutely throw your body to. We’re all here to party.

NOLA EDM: Two floors. Different environments. Different energies. When you’re stepping into a lineup like this, are you thinking about contrast, cohesion, or controlled chaos?

RIPTRIPPIN: I am absolutely thinking of cohesiveness through sound with the wonderful, talented artists I am on the lineup with. I think d.pad really put a lot of energy in building the lineup. If you have heard any of the artists coming after my set with DJ Klitz, the type of music played is a transformational journey through heavy dubstep, downtempo, drum & bass, glitch hop and SO much more. With the two floors, people will be able to wander and decide what they’re feeling at that moment, which I think is super rad. 

NOLA EDM: Nights like this attract people who want something a little off-center. How do you know when the crowd is ready to go deeper with you?

RIPTRIPPIN: I think you can feel it as much as you can see it. I like to gain the trust as early as I can, show newcomers my sound and take people through a deeper and more emotional venture throughout the middle of the set. Underground crowds for a show like this are more open to delving that venture with you, as long as you meet them where they are at.

NOLA EDM: Santos offers a two-floor, immersive environment. How does playing in a space like that change the way you structure energy across your set?

RIPTRIPPIN: Me and DJ Klitz have been cultivating a very specific sound with the song choices in our upcoming b2b. Klitz is a very great friend of mine, so working on this has been an absolute blast. We like to joke that I am more catered to the wooks as much as she is more catered to the girlies. LOL. Expect some heavy sustained bass, custom mashups and originals blended with some poppy, bubbly bass music meant for throwing ass.

NOLA EDM: Looking beyond this show, what are you building toward in 2026 — new releases, collaborations, or live concepts we should be watching for?

RIPTRIPPIN: This year is the most exciting and anticipating year I think I have ever personally experienced. I am opening up for Doses (Denver Doses) and Phulti at the Varsity Theatre on March 20th with The Bassyard Project collective. We have been putting in a lot of hard work for this show, playing at a historical Baton Rouge venue, and Sound Union is even bringing an entire sound system that anyone on the Gulf would want to bear witness to. I am also playing the Bassyard Renegade stage at the first edition of LA Psych Fest in my stomping grounds under the bridge by Brickyard South and Chelsea’s Live in Baton Rouge as well. Last year was really about experimentation and shaping the kind of sound I want to represent myself with, and I’ve been spending a lot of time in the studio dialing in an original catalog that really represents what RIPTRIPPIN is to me. 2026 is the year I’m planning to start sharing that music with the world.